One of the most powerful questions that arises from the story of the Exodus is how could God harden Pharaoh’s heart without stripping him of his free will to decide between good and evil? I’d like to convey two answers offered by one of the greatest Torah scholars of the early twentieth century, Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin ZT”L, in his classic “La-torah V’La-Moadim”. 1) We are all born with innate characteristics, or Middot. It is up to us to decide how to apply them. For example, someone who is born with a tendency toward spilling blood, can choose to...
Posts Tagged ‘ Parsha ’
Abraham’s Legacy
The first word God spoke to our forefather Abraham was “go!” Move. Leave your comfort zone, where you feel in control of your fate. Go to a place that is foreign, unfamiliar, a total mystery to you. Face new challenges. Form new alliances, teach new students, make new friends. Create a legacy for yourself that will make you proud. Pursue the calling hidden deep within your soul no matter what those around you say. Discover your faith, your true destiny. Abraham never stopped moving, teaching, building, caring, loving, striving, achieving, and fulfilling his mission, his destiny. His legacy to...
Clarity of Choice
The Rambam, in his Guide to the Perplexed, cites the following question relating to the verse in Genesis that warns Man not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge lest he become like a god, able to differentiate between good and bad. This ability to know good from bad is what makes Man unique, raising him up above all other creations. Why then was it viewed as a punishment, given to Man only after he rebels against the command of God? It would seem then that Man benefited from sinning! In his answer, the Rambam explains that prior to...
Parshat Yitro – Making of a Leader
I’ve often wondered, why didn’t Moshe’s children play a role in the leadership of the Jewish People? I think the answer can be found in this parsha, which begins with the words, “And Yitro heard.” According to the Midrash, cited by Rashi, Yitro heard about the miracle of the splitting of the sea, and the victory over Amalek. According to other commentators, the entire portion relating to him actually took place after the Jews received the Torah, making that one of the things he heard. Yitro brought with him Moshe’s wife and two sons, who had been sent back...
Parshat Bo – The Big Difference
The Torah and the Sages teach that the Jews were spared the hardships of the plagues. For example, while the Egyptian was stricken with boils the Jew standing beside him was completely healthy. The final plague, however, presented a different scenario. God tells Moses to tell the Jews to place the blood of the slaughtered paschal lamb on the doorposts of their homes as a sign for Him to pass over them when smiting the first born of Egypt. It follows that those Jews who chose not to place this sign upon their doors were smitten along with the...
Shabbat Bo
In this week’s parsha, Bo, Moshe demands that Pharaoh let the Jews out to worship God. When Pharaoh asks who would go, Moshe tells him everyone, men women, children, and even their animals. Pharaoh accuses Moshe of trying to “pull a fast one”, and agrees to release only the men, for only they worship. Was Moshe, in fact, trying to trick Pharaoh? Not at all. Moshe was teaching Pharoah that everyone can connect with, and serve, the Divine, each in their own unique way. Yes, even animals serve God, usually with the help of man. This is a fundamental...
Buy on Amazon
